Bike Store Owner Opposes Bike Lanes Outside His Shop

[tomato coupe]

Originally Posted by jtakeda

A lot of businesses in busy metro areas attract customers by having a parking lot.

The city has other plans with the metered parking in front of the shop. If he wants parking he can build a parking lot.

Great idea! What are the odds that there is a vacant lot next door?

[Waterlogged]

Regardless of my personal stance on the subject of bike lanes, the store is probably his/her primary source of income. Many people will choose an alternative store if they can’t park nearby. Very few additional people will now go to that store just because of the new bike lane. Do the math.

[sfo1]

Can’t blame a small business owner for looking out for his best interest (drive in customers and this not a high end shop by any means). The fact is that bike commuting numbers are down (thanks Uber and Lyft race-to-the-bottom pricing, private shuttles and company hand-out freebie transit passes and credits) yet the City continues to remove retail corridor street parking (Polk, Divis, etc) for dwindling commuter numbers. This City makes it incredibly difficult on small business owners and we won’t even talk about rent rates.

Wonder why there are so many vacant storefronts in SF? Now the supes want to tax landlords that have vacant storefronts. Off topic.

[jtakeda]

Originally Posted by tomato coupe

Great idea! What are the odds that there is a vacant lot next door?

All I’m trying to say is if having customers park at your business is paramount to you business staying open then you should have a parking lot.

Why does every other bike shop in sf have no parking lot and still manage to stay open?

Huckleberry? Warm planet? Box dog?

[martl]

Originally Posted by XXtwindad

https://sf.streetsblog.org/2020/02/2...free-valencia/

The owner of one of SF's most popular bike shops opposes bike lanes in a busy corridor next to his shop. Apparently, he doesn't want to inconvenience customers by eliminating parking spots.

Exact same thing happening in my home town of Munich. The Fraunhofer Straße got some parking removed and bike lanes created, 95% of the people living there love it, the other 5% make noise. One of them is the owner of a bike store in said road.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by yinzerniner

As he's of prioritizing his current customers and revenue source without thinking about the better long term forecast of more widespread protected lanes adoption.

Here's the owner's response in full, of which he raises some interesting points:


However the owner kind of can't see the forest for the trees. The summary in the last paragraphs of the article puts it best:

Actually, I think my title was poorly thought out. So I changed it. I actually don't think many (most?) bike store owners are concerned with bike activism. They're much more concerned with making a profit, which is understandable. So, perhaps not that hypocritical after all.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

He's looking for the city to subsidize his business. Cities today devote far too much space to automobiles, particularly space to park them. Some may say that parking is too expensive, but in reality it is a bargain. When you compare it to cost per square foot for city rental properties (housing, commercial, etc.), parking rates don't pay their fare share, and are subsidized by the city. If the LBS owner was asked to pay the true costs of the parking spaces in front of his business, he'd probably be singing a different tune.

Though provoking response. As per usual.

[jamesdak]

Originally Posted by Heisenberg

where do you live?

"Paradise" !

The road in this pic is part of my daily bike ride route.




I'll smack a grizzly on the nose and let him eat me before I ever live in a city.

[colker]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

He's looking for the city to subsidize his business. Cities today devote far too much space to automobiles, particularly space to park them. Some may say that parking is too expensive, but in reality it is a bargain. When you compare it to cost per square foot for city rental properties (housing, commercial, etc.), parking rates don't pay their fare share, and are subsidized by the city. If the LBS owner was asked to pay the true costs of the parking spaces in front of his business, he'd probably be singing a different tune.

Excellent use of rational thought. I don´t see why tax money should be used to subsidize the car habit.

[temeyone]

If you live in a major city, are employed in said major city, and have your necessary requisite stores near enough to walk, there should be no reason to own a car. I moved to NYC from Indiana knowing that would be the case, still ended up with a car for a few years, sold it and have never looked back. car-sharing has gotten to a point where it's not only feasible for trips outside the city, but much cheaper and convenient than owning a car. When I see people sitting for hours in their cars waiting for alternate side parking hours to end, I wonder what's wrong with their existence.

[redir]

Originally Posted by jamesdak

"Paradise" !

The road in this pic is part of my daily bike ride route.




I'll smack a grizzly on the nose and let him eat me before I ever live in a city.

I hear ya. After growing up in the NYC MEtro area, ten years in Washington DC, a short stint in Louisville, I'm done with city life

[zap]

Originally Posted by jtakeda

I wonder what people would think if we implemented Mexico City style restrictions where you can only drive on certain days if your license plate ends in xyz.

Not a big deal. Purchase another vehicle and pay someone at DMV to get a zyx tag.

[XXtwindad]

Bike Lanes: segregated in more than one way?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sfc...e-15084274.php

[merlinmurph]

We have a similar situation in my small town of 13000. There is an initiative to do a makeover of the small, downtown area and one of the elements is removing some parking and installing segregated bike lanes. The businesses that are there and various town residents are crying about the lost parking. Realistically, there is enough parking in the area, you may just have to walk a few hundred yards. Horrors. It really is a battle. The redesign was passed by town meeting awhile ago, and a special vote was just held (unprecedented) to vote on it again.

As an aside, the proposed design of the bike lanes is being panned by cycling advocates. Our local advocate, Ed Harrow (some Boston locals know him), has written number of letters explaining why the current design is unsafe. Of course, his views fall on deaf ears. I find it amazing how things such as bike lanes are designed by people that will never use them.

[temeyone]

And even if they are designed properly, expecting any key element integral to their safety to be enforced is a losing battle. Here in NYC, the only increased enforcement we see is for numbingly petty cycling-related offenses. I can go outside right now and take 10 photos in one minute of Ubers, delivery trucks, and delivery scooters parked in the bike lane or using it as part of the road